Nicolae Titulescu
(1882-1941)
Among the host of international statesmen and
prominent diplomats this century, Nicolae Titulescu
stands out. Born in Craiova in 1882, Titulescu
earned a degree in law from Paris before beginning
a career as a professor at the universities
of Iasi and Bucharest. He was elected to the
Romanian parliament in 1912 and was one of the
makers of peace after the First World War, helping
to negotiate the Treaty of Trianon under which
Transylvania re-became part of Romania. He also
served as Romanian minister of finance, ushering
in the country's new income tax and agricultural
reform.
In the late 1920s and 1930s Titulescu went from
being a promising local political figure to
begin an internationally respected statesman.
He was minister of foreign affairs on two occasions
and twice ambassador to the Court of St. James.
He served as president of the League of Nations
for two terms.
It was under his tenure that the League experienced
a series of that would eventually plunge Europe
into its second great conflagration this century.
Titulescu also worked throughout his diplomatic
career to repair relations between Romania and
Soviet Union while protecting Romania's new
boundaries.
In the end, however, Titulescu was a man whose
desire for peace, stability and good neighborly
relations was out of step with the authoritarian
and fascist movements sweeping the continent.
As Romania moved closer toward Germany, Titulescu's
strong links with France became a political
liability, and in 1936, he resigned from diplomatic
service, effectively ending his diplomatic career.
He died in 1041 in Paris, a political refugee
from Romania's war-time authoritarian regime
but a lasting symbol of Romania's place in the
wider Europe.
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source: http://www.ici.ro/romania/culture/index.html
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Copyright © Consulate General of Romania 2004
